Washington Sustainable Aviation Fuels Summit

First-Ever Summit Focused on Bringing Together Innovative Industries to Make Vision a Reality

With the Washington legislature’s consideration of a Clean Fuel Standard and commitments from the aviation and transportation industries, Washington is closer than ever before to developing a local supply chain of clean and sustainable fuels for aviation.

At the Washington Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Summit on March 7 and 8, 2019, Governor Inslee, former Secretary of U.S. Navy Ray Mabus, Port of Seattle Commissioners and industry leaders came together to focus on opportunities to develop a Washington-based supply chain of clean and sustainable fuels for aviation.

Sponsored by Earth Day Northwest 2020, the Port of Seattle, Boeing, Alaska Air, and Delta Air Lines, the two-day Washington SAF Summit brought Washington’s most innovative industries together to develop a local supply chain of clean and sustainable fuels for aviation.

This is a make or break time for the climate and the transportation sector. Transportation contributes more carbon emissions than any other sector in the state. While aviation contributes just a slice of those emissions, the Port of Seattle is determined to reduce the carbon emissions from jet fuel.

Despite a statewide emphasis on sustainability, there is still is no Washington-based supply of sustainable fuel for aviation. Washington state is home to several innovative biofuel production companies, but they export their supply to California, Oregon, and British Columbia where a statewide “clean fuel standard” policy creates a more profitable market. Between the industry commitments and Washington legislature’s consideration of a Clean Fuel Standard, we are closer than ever before to developing a local supply chain of clean and sustainable fuels for aviation.

We look forward to sharing more details in the coming months about the Washington SAF Summit 2020. In the meantime, below are the presentations from this year’s speakers and panelists.

Summit Presentation Materials

• Diana Birkett Rakow, VP External Relations, Alaska Airlines
• Bruce Comer, Managing Director, Ocean Park
• Charles Etter, Gulfstream
• Tony Gonchar, Vice President, Seattle, Delta Airlines
• Dr. Pat Gruber, Gevo, Inc.
• Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, LanzaTech
• Jim Lane, The Digest
• Dave Kettner, President, Virent, Inc.
• Matt Knapp, Zunum Aero
• Scot Lewis, EVP Commercial Operations + Strategy, World Energy
• Jeff Manternach (et al.), Red Rock Biofuels
• John Plaza
• Jason Rushton, Government Solutions Manager, SICPA
• Keith Sawyer, Manager, Alternative Fuels, AvFuel Corporation
• Kai Sorenson, Epic
• Eric Toone
• Michael P Wolcott, Regents Professor and Assoc. VP for Research, Washington State University

Summit Media Coverage 

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